Silent valve with pressure regulator



Aug. 14, 1951 A. R. STEPHANY SILENT VALVE WITH PRESSURE REGULATOR Filed April 9, 1948 la n 4 n INVENTOR. A EG. d 'frf SrL-PMM):

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q @flug ATTORNEYS,

of water for flushing .the bowl.

Patented Aug. f4, 1951 SILENT VvVALVE WITH- PRESSURE` REGULATOR '.1

Albert R. Stephany, Newport, Appiiication-Aprir9, lara'iserialita-20,1053` 1e claims. (elllen-s) This invention relates tof' aV silent. valve with pressurefregulator; In my co-pendingsapplicationssSerial Nofll, filed February-7, 1946, and entitled Silent Valve, now abandoned; and Se1ial .-l\lo; V 719,989,` ledJanuary 3,- 1941,. and entitled Improved Silent Valve, I. have fdisA closed and claimed valves which, although capable of va variety of uses, are more particularly adapted for use in connection with water closets.

Inthe usual. water closet there is `generally provided a tank or reservoir containing a supply A water supply line leads into the reservoir and is provided with afloat actuated valve having an actuating arm .carrying afloat which serves to shut off the Valve when the Water level reaches a predetermined height.y e

It has-for many yearsbeen an object of research development in this art to provide a water .closet which would be completely silent `in operai tion.: While considerable. progresshas been made .along...these lines, particularly insofar as the design of the bowl is concerned, trouble has always been encountered with. the Valve.

In my copending applications above referred v-toflrhafve disclosed and claimed valve .constructions which. .in most instancesare. silent,r `In .those cases where the valves of my prior inven.- Ations kare. not..completely. silent, Ythe reason. for

noise has been. found to be a greatly different water pressure from thatfor Which-the .valves Were designed.

It is therefore an object of my present invention to .provide a yvalve embodying certain of vthe VVprinciples set forth in my sadcopending applications,- but incorporating additionallya pressure regulator so that the valve may be adjusted at .the time of installation to apoint of absolute silence...

Frther objects of my invention include'the provision of such a valve which would be relativelysimple and inexpensive and which Will'have longwear, and thus Alow maintenance cost.

These and' other Yobjects of myinventionwhich will Vbe pointed out more in detail hereinafter, or which I shall set `iorth.in more detailY as the description proceeds, I accomplish by that certain construction and arrangement .of `parts of which I 'shallnow describe an' exemplaryembodiment. Reference is. made to the. drawings forming 'a part hereofl and Hin which:

Figure 1 isa small 'scale elevational view of the complete valve together with the float .thereoi member..

v Figure -is-:a- .cross-sectional' view'on a'great-ly enlarged'scale taken on the line 3-f-,3 0f Figurefl. Figure .4. is-a detailed elevational view of the regulator member.

Figure 5A is van end elevationwof the `.same as seen- Ifreni-thebottom of Figure #1.l

` Figure -6 is a detailede1evational.view, 4with parts broken away, of the flower. endof thefvalve member..

Figure "7, is. a cross-sectional .view taken on Vthe line f-i of Figureeo,v and:

Figure Bisa fragmentary cross-sectionalzview ofthe lowerend'of the upper casingmember.

-Brielyfin=the-practiceofmy invention I pro.-

videa `valve having a-.generally tubular casing andv Ahaving i an, .inlet opening in. .the bottom. end v Theupper Vendw'n the casing .has-'a threaded opening. `through* .-which.. a.holl0wV regu-- lator i member'. passes.: The valve. itself passes through. .the regulatoranember and has a` bell-.- like .lower end arranged to seat Aonanannular valve seat surrounding said inlet opening.. The regulator member. itselfV .has .abell-like lower end embracingthe bellelilref lower. endof the. valve Since the regulator. member. has threaded .engagement-Withtbe ho using.,it. may beadjusted las required andthen-` fixed .in .position. by,.nieans. :ofa lock-nut.

Referring .now.-more .in ..detail..tothe. figures, and..particularly to Figure 3, thecaSing4 com.- prises. two parts indicated .generally at I 0 vvand H These. parts.. are lsuitably secured .together as indicated at I2 .through meetingflanges I3, M,` preferably with aA gasket member .I 5 engaged ,between the flanges- The boss oreXtensionQlG at. the vlower end of lthecasing is` provided with an entrance .opening I1 l internally..V threaded to receivev a. pipe .connection,.as indicated vin broken piece of neoprene, or thelike. .The member 20 issecured in place bymeans of the hollow flange bushing member 2 l ascle'arlyshownin Figure 3. The interiorof "thevupper .casing member. I 0

has...a.cyl indr'ical .bore.2v2"fo`r a portion of .its

length'and' from the point 'indicated in Figure 8 at." 23 the inner Wallsarejslightly conical as indicatedat 24; v".l`l'ietaper of th'e interiorwalls at124 Vwit'l'rrespect to theiaxis ofth'e oasingls fr"cnfr11 to 2', and .preferably about4 11/23; Adjacent the upper end YVof the casing 'member fl 0 is an annular cham'mer v2 5 communicating with an" outlet passage '26 havingathrea'ded opening at Ziffer-attachment to 'a non-Siphoning; attach- 55 entI .or the V`like indicated in broken` lines :at

"28; and Jdeli`very"ppe"29.

Axially of the casing member I the upper end thereof is bored and internally threaded as indicated at to receive and cooperate with the threaded portion 3| on the shank of the regulator member.

The regulator member is shown best in Figures 4 and 5, and it comprises a generally tubular body having the threaded portion 3l mentioned above, and preferably terminating in a knurled knob 32; The regulator member is bored as at 33 and its lower end is formed to a bell-like configuration indicated generally at 34. Hereinafter and in the claims this portion will be generally referred to as the regulator bell. Externally at its lower end the regulator bell has a scolloped configuration best seen in Figure 5, and' comprising a series of lands 35 and-grooves y36. The lands 35 are of such diameter as to engage smoothly the cylindrical inner surface 22 of the casing member I6, while the grooves 36 permit passage of water to the regulator element. The regulator element proper comprises the' exterior of the bell member 34, which, as seen in Figure 4, comprises two steps having tapered outer walls.

The taper of these walls is also between 1 and 2 1..

and preferably about l 1/2" with relation to the axis .of the valve and extends in the opposite direction to the taper of the walls 24 ofthe casing member I6. When the regulator member is assembled to the casing as seen in Figure 3, it will be understood that by turning the member 32 the regulator bell is caused to move upward or downward within the casing with the lands 35 engaging the cylindrical wall 22. It will be understood that as'the bell member 34 is raised within the casing the annular passage for water will become more and more restricted, and as the member 34 is lowered within the casing these annular passages become more and more open.V The position of the regulator member in the casing may be fixed by means of the lock nut 31 as will be clear.f

The valve member itself comprises the stem portionA 38 provided with conventional sealing means as at 39, and having at its lower end a bell-like mem-ber; which hereinafter will be referred to as the valve bell, indicated generally at 40. The valve bell 40 is hollow asindicated at 4I, and is provided with the conical rim 42 for engagement with the valve seat washer 20. The surface 42 should be less than 20 and greater than 10 1/2 with respect to the horizontal, so that the surface 42 engages the washer 20 by line contact. I have determined that if the angle of the rim portion 42 is less than 20 there is substantially no wear upon the cornerof the washer 23, andV` that in order for the valve to be silent the angle must be at least 10 1/.

The valve bell 40 has sliding engagement on 4the inside of the regulator bell, but in order to equalize pressure on both sides of the bell the latter is grooved as indicated at 43, so as to permit Ywater to enter into the area 44 behind the valve bell and within the regulator bell.

The casing is formed with a bracket 45 to which is pivoted an arm 46 provided with a hole and setscrew to carry the float arm 41 on the .end of which is secured the ball iioat 48. The

opposite end of the link 46 has pivoted to it a .link49 which is pivoted to the operating link 50,

ervoir drops? causing the ball float 48 to drop, the linkage will operate to raise the valve member within the casing, whereby the valve is opened. As the water in the reservoir rises causing the ball float 4B to rise, the valve is gradually lowered until it seats as heretofore described. The chamber 4| in the valve bell serves as a silencing chamber as was the case with the valves ofmy copending applications, and, as before, the entire valve including the chamber 25, the passage 26 and the pipe 29 are at all times filled with water. Thus, when the valve is open the beginning of movement of the water is unattended by the impingement of a stream of water against a stationary surface and therefore no noise is produced, and by virtue of the construction the valve may be adjusted to the point where in closing it will be impossible to detect any sound.

It will be clear that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I therefore do not intend to limit myself except insofar as set forth in the claims which follow. Y

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A Valve comprising a casing having a fluid outlet, a uid inlet in said casing, a valve seat member surrounding said inlet, a valve member comp-rising a bell having a rim for contacting said seat member, means for actuating said valve member from the exterior of said casing, and a regulator member in said casing for regulating the flow of liiuid through said casing when said valve is open, said regulator member being adjustable from the exterior of said casing and comprising a bell embracing said valve bell, and having on its exterior wall a stepped, tapered conguration, the interior of said casing having a tapered configuration opposite to the taper of said bell, whereby by axial adjustment of said regulator bell relative to said casing, the fluid passageway between said regulator bell and said casing is adjusted, to regulate the flow of liuid through said casing. 2. A device according to claim l, in which the degree of taper rof said exterior bell wall steps and of the interior casing wall, each with re,- spect to the axis of said valve, is between substantially 1 and substantially 2.

3. A device according to claim 2, in which said exterior bell wall has two steps.

4. A device according to claim 3, in which the rim of said valve is chamfered to an angle of substantially lOl/2.

5. A device according to claim 4, in which the 'outer face of said valve bell is provided with grooves for pressure equalization.

6. A valve comprising a casing having a fluid outlet, a iiuid inlet in said casing, a valve seat member surrounding said inlet, a regulator member comprising a shank and a bell, an opening in said casing, said shank having threaded engagement with said opening whereby the position of said bell may be adjusted in relation to said casing, said shank being hollow, and a valve member having a bell and a shank, said valve shank having sliding motion in said regulator shank and said valve bell having sliding motion in said regulator bell, said valve bell having a rim to seat against said seat member toclose said valve, said regulator bell having on its exterior wall a stepped, tapered configuration, and the interior of said casing having a tapered configuration opposite to the taper of said bell, whereby.

by axlal adjustment of said regulator bell relative to said casing, the fluid passageway between said regulator bell and said casing is adjusted, to regulate the ow of fluid through said casing.

7. A device according to claim 6, in which the degree of taper of said exterior bell wall steps, and of the interior casing wall, each with respect to the axis of said valve, is between substantially 1 and substantially 2.

8. A device according to claim '7, in Which said exterior bell wall has two steps.

9. A device according to claim 8, in which the rim of said valve bell is chamfered to an angle of substantially lOl/2".

10. A device according to claim 9, in which the outer face of said valve bell is provided with grooves for pressure equalization.

11. A device according to claim 1 in which the rim of said valve bell is chamfered to an angle of substantially 10i/2.

12. A device according to claim 6, in which the rim of said valve bell is chamfered to an angle of substantially 101/2".

13. A valve comprising a generally tubular casing having an entrance opening in one end and an exit opening adjacent the other end, a threaded bore in said casing in the end opposite said entrance opening, a regulator member having an externally threaded hollow shank and a regulator bell, said threaded shank engaging in said threaded bore for adjustment of said regulator, a valve member having a shank portion slidable in the hollow shank of said regulator member and having a valve bell disposed Within said regulator bell, said bell having a rim, said entrance opening having an annular valve seat for engagement by the rim of said valve bell, and said valve bell having sliding bearing within said regulator bell and having grooves in its outer face for pressure equalization behind said valve bell and within said regulator bell, said regulator bell having on its exterior wall a stepped and tapered configuration and the interior of said casing having an oppositely tapered configuration, whereby, by axial adjustment of said regulator bell relative to said casing, the fluid passageway between said regulator bell and said casing is adjusted, to regulate the How of iluid through said casing.

14. A device according to claim 13, in which the degree of taper of said exterior regulator bell wall steps and of the interior casing Wall each with respect to the axis of said valve, is between substantially 1 and substantially 2.

15. A device according to claim 14, in which said exterior bell wall has two steps.

16. A device according to claim 15, in which the rim of said valve bell is chamfered to an angle of substantially 10i/2.

ALBERT R. STEPHANY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 893,884 Sturgis July 21, 1908 1,981,904 Clemmons Nov. 27, 1934 2,164,927 Kohler July 4, 1939 2,229,601 Bark Jan. 21, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 629 Great Britain Jan. 10, 1899 

